Void Bastards Reviews

Congratulations convict, you've been selected for reconditioning. Revived from your dehydrated sleep and put to work, your task is to lead a group of prisoners of similar fate out of the Sargasso Nebula to freedom. Never fear, if you aren't up to the task or get taken out by a patrolling Warbot, there are always other prisoners ready to take your position. Whether you're ready or not, this is how you're going to seek out your freedom in Void Bastards.

Void Bastards is a delightful roguelike romp through a wonderfully unique cel-shaded comic book world full of loud-mouthed enemies and smart-arsed robots. The core combat is straightforward stuff, but it's given plenty of extra bite through the fantastically evocative graphics and kept interesting with hackable turrets and a handful of other BioShock-esque elements that give your engagements with the many Screws, Juves, Tourists and Spooks you'll come across as you traverse the Sargasso Nebula a slightly strategic lift. Graphically it's a beautiful thing, has top-notch sound design and its combination of coarse British humour and oddball space horror give the whole endeavour a highly original flavour that's well worth checking out, even if the moment-to-moment action doesn't quite match the rest of the package.

For example, to craft a certain gun you might need a nutri tray. Now you could find one out in the world, or if you’re impatient or just can’t find one then you can craft a nutri tray yourself. In that case you’ll need 40 plaz and 40 volt materials which are acquired by looting ships for scrap which is then recycled into various material types. A ship with a lot of computer scrap will yield a lot of data materials for example, or finding fingers will supply you with bio. This system is fine since it strikes a nice balance of letting you fast track your way to the upgrades you want and the ones you can wait for, but some parts can ask for a ridiculous amount of materials sometimes. It’s not too bad for the most part, but when you’re hit with a particular upgrade that requires the grind it can halt the fun for a bit.

I knew next to nothing about Void Bastards until about a week ago when the COGconnected Overlord asked me to review it. I’d seen the comic book styled art and read the brief description that suggested it was inspired by Bioshock (one of the best first-person shooters ever), but I really didn’t know what to expect. However, since first loading it up, I’ve been absolutely hooked. It’s not every day I get to rave about a game… but today is one of those days.

Overall, Void Bastards is a great game, with a good art style, and it really hits the spot for a first-person shooter. It is a little different from other shooters with how your character respawns, and who is being used to continue the game. On sale now for PC and Xbox only for $29.99 USD. This is a good price for a new game, and it is fairly large in size so you will have hours of fun times. Get it while it is hot.

Void Bastards is a tense and cerebral rogue-lite that mixes the best of FTL: Faster than Light and System Shock.

Back in the days when FTL first came out, I remember getting lost within its novel take on space exploration. The rogue-lite elements combined with random encounters and its addictive “one more go” game play loop left me obsessed for weeks. I was enamored by how expansive it felt and its nearly infinite replayability. The brilliant combination of survival and exploration was too enthralling to put down. But one thing that FTL could never give me was the feeling of invading enemy ships mys...

V is for void (and very good).

Disclosure: Cara Ellison, a former writer for RPS, was the writer for Void Bastards. I'm also pretty sure she voices one of the pirates, so if you ever wanted Cara to call you 'a dobber', then playing this is the best way to do it other than being in the RPS IRC room circa 2012.

Void Bastards is a roguelite shooter that encourages experimentation and smart thinking in outer space, and it mostly works to great effect.

A very compelling mix of roguelike and first person shooter, with highly distinctive visuals and pleasingly difficult tactical choices.

On the surface, Void Bastards may just seem like another FPS, but there’s an element of strategy layered in which sets it aside from the rest. It takes a bit of the old, mixes it with the new, splashes it with a comic style aesthetic to make a truly wonderful experience that will challenge you to make good decisions, enable you to play how you want and you get to be called a Void bastard, which is brilliant. It feels like a breath of fresh air in a sea of FPS games that all do the same thing.

Void Bastards is a work of art, not only in its visuals but also in gameplay. The progression is strong and the gameplay is a blast. Exploring each derelict ship was a treat, and I can't wait to dive back into the Sargasso Nebula for more fun.

Unfortunately, once you play through Void Bastards once, a repeat play is going to be fairly similar, unless attempted on another difficulty. Unlike Binding of Isaac where every attempt offers entirely different outcomes forcing you to adapt, Void Bastards is a rather one-and-done experience. In fact, despite the random nature of the ships, they too wind up feeling repetitive.

Strip away the thematic concepts and storytelling, and a game like BioShock focuses on creative problem-solving. How do I confront and control a space through the use of unusual tools, stealth, and outright assault, and come out the other end better for the exchange? Void Bastards explores that core dynamic with a procedural loop, focusing on opportunities for strategy and improvement, and eschewing characters and story with an almost nihilistic abandon. The result is a relatively pure flow of discovery and mastery for many hours, diminished only by an eventual sense of rote.